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Job summary

Main area
Nurse Management
Grade
Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Compressed hours
37.5 hours per week (Will participate in the Gold on call rota)
Job ref
391-RFL-8208989
Employer
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Chase Farm Hospital
Town
Enfield
Salary
£125,000 - £140,000 per annum inclusive of HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/08/2026 23:59

Employer heading

NHS

Director of Nursing - Group Clinical Services

Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM

Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community.  This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.

Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey. Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

 

Job overview

We are seeking an exceptional and inspiring Director of Nursing to join the leadership team of our Group Clinical Services Health Unit at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Reporting to the Health Unit Chief Executive Officer, with professional accountability to the Group Chief Nurse, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across nursing and allied health professional services within a diverse portfolio including Pharmacy, Pathology, Imaging, Community Diagnostic Centres, Breast Screening Services, Mortuary and Bereavement Services, and Elective Access Services.

As a key executive leader, you will be responsible for driving excellence in patient safety, patient and staff experience, quality improvement, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, and clinical governance. You will lead the development of a high-performing nursing and AHP workforce, fostering a culture of compassionate, inclusive leadership, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Working closely with clinical, operational, and executive colleagues across the Trust and wider health system, you will play a pivotal role in delivering the Royal Free London clinical strategy, service transformation, embedding quality improvement methodology, and ensuring the highest standards of care, safety, and regulatory compliance. This is an outstanding opportunity for a visionary nursing leader to influence care delivery across one of the UK's largest and most ambitious NHS groups.

Main duties of the job

This role offers an exceptional opportunity to influence care quality and service transformation across a diverse portfolio of specialist and diagnostic services within one of the UK's largest NHS organisations.

  • Provide visible and inspirational leadership for nursing and allied health professional (AHP) services across the Group Clinical Services Health Unit, promoting a culture of excellence, inclusion, innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Lead on patient safety, patient experience, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, and clinical governance, ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety and regulatory compliance.
  • Work closely with the Health Unit Chief Executive, Medical Director and senior leaders to develop and deliver strategic priorities, service transformation programmes and quality improvement initiatives.
  • Oversee performance against quality, operational and workforce objectives, ensuring services are safe, effective, financially sustainable and deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences.
  • Lead the Health Unit's approach to Care Quality Commission (CQC) preparedness and inspections, ensuring robust assurance processes and continuous improvement.
  • Act as a senior ambassador for the Trust, championing its values, strategic objectives and commitment to delivering world-class care

Working for our organisation

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.

For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/ 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description for more information about this role and working at royal free London NHS foundation Trust

Person specification

Royal Free world class values

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

Education & professional qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Current NMC Registration
  • Masters degree or equivalent level experience
  • Evidence of continuous personal and professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Management qualification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant senior nursing experience in an NHS Acute trust
  • Experience of increasing staff engagement
  • Experience of leading transformational service change
  • Experience of managing complex problems
  • • Successful achievement of projects of a significant scale including close working with clinicians

Skills and aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable track record of successful delivery
  • Strong understanding of, and responsiveness to the complexities and dynamics of the NHS including the importance of clinical governance
  • Demonstrate effective partnership working with internal and external stakeholders
  • Ability to influence, negotiate and persuade regarding complex or sensitive issues
  • Motivational skills to lead staff
  • Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills
  • Determination to achieve high standards and strive to delivery improvements in patient care within the framework of the Trust

Personal Qualities & attributes

Essential criteria
  • Passion, enthusiasm and pride for the profession
  • Ability to commend confidence of medical and other Trust colleagues
  • Ability to plan strategically, tactically and creatively
  • Ability to take an innovative approach
  • Proactive, versatile and problem solving approach
  • Robust and persistent in the pursuit of objectives whilst responding to short term challenges and priorities
  • Able to maintain personal credibility
  • Able to prioritise and work under pressure

Others

Essential criteria
  • Meets the requirement for fit and proper persons

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleDisability confident employerTimewise PartnerCare Quality Commission - Requires improvementEnei MemberArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Palmer Winstanley
Job title
CEO
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07828847402
Additional information

For a conversation about the role, please contact.  

Palmer Winstanley, (Chief Executive) via his PA Ashleigh Frye - [email protected]

or 

Julie Hamilton (Group Chief Nurse), via her Executive Support Manager Genine Allen - [email protected] 

 

Interviews are scheduled to take place on 20th August 2026.

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